Fueled by the tragic shootings of police officers in Dallas and Louisiana last year, Baldwin set about her journey of appreciation at the nearby St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office in January 2017. As of November, Baldwin’s unique road trip has allowed her to deliver hugs in the following Southern states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and, most recently, Texas. With 25 states already under belt, Baldwin plans to dispense more hugs in hopes that she’ll make her final trek by 2019.

According to the TODAY Show, which highlighted Baldwin’s tour of free hugs on Tuesday, November 14, this is just Baldwin’s small way of saying "thank you" to police officers across the country.

RosalynLoves/Facebook

Baldwin can only travel during holidays and school breaks, with her cross-country hugging trip mostly funded through donations on GoFundMe. To date, she’s raised $8,740 of her $10,000 goal. Baldwin’s purpose certainly comes through loud and clear in the mission statement her mother, Angie Baldwin, posted on the fundraising page:

"As Rosalyn learned of the heroic and sacrificial efforts of many law enforcement officers, her heart was moved to offer hugs to all the law enforcement officers that crossed her path. One day after church she said to us, 'I want to hug all of the police officers in every state. It's in my heart.' From these words, 'RosalynLoves' was birthed."

RosalynLoves/Facebook

If you’re wondering if something as small as a hug can really make a difference in improving the relationship and establishing trust between officers and the communities they serve, you only need to turn to Baldwin’s hug recipients to find out.

At just age 7, Rosalyn decided she wanted to spread love all over the country and hug police officers in all 50 states. Missouri was state #12, and we were so fortunate to be visited by her and her family today.
#hugs #spreadthejoy rosalynloves.com RosalynLoves

Police officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, also pulled out all the stops for Baldwin when she came bearing gifts in the form of hugs. Not only was she treated to a motorcade, but she also got to ride in the police chopper.